New York, April 10, 2011 – The New York Rangers announced today that tickets for the first two rounds of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs will go on-sale on Monday, April 11th at 12:00 p.m. Tickets will be available on newyorkrangers.comand Ticketmaster charge by phone 1-866-858-0008.
In an effort to make tickets available to as many fans as possible, a maximum of four tickets per person per round may be purchased. All ticket orders are subject to service charges. Please call the Madison Square Garden Disabled Services Department at (212) 465-6034 for tickets for people with disabilities. For more information, visit newyorkrangers.com.

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Beyond the crack of noon. Thoughts:

1) That was some crazy day. The only day I can remember comparing to that was the final day of 1988, and I’ve mentioned this before. John Vanbiesbrouck shut out Quebec at the Garden to put the Rangers ahead of the Devils for the final playoff spot, but the Devils were playing an hour later in Chicago. And the Rangers (and the media) sat in the players’ lounge and watched the end of that game, as John MacLean scored in OT and put the Devils into the playoffs for the first time, knocking the Rangers out. The differences: A) obviously, the outcome for the Rangers; B) the time elapsed between the two games’ endings; and C) the 1988 ending was more dramatic and sudden.

2) I have to tell you, I’m happy for, and pulling for, Chris Drury. Yeah, I know, he has a vanilla personality that makes it hard for outsiders to believe he’s a great captain. Believe me, I know, he’s never, ever going to live up to his salary. And I agree, that contract has prevented the Rangers from maybe making other upgrades. But I think he’s a good guy. And I am 100 percent sure that (at least most of) the players respect and follow and are inspired by him. That goes for the head coach, too. More to the point, I believe he could be a help in these playoffs if his knee allows him to skate. Nobody gets paid a nickel in the playoffs. So everybody’s contribution counts the same. A relatively healthy Drury, at the same salary as everybody else, could make a difference now.

3) That said, it sure was an interesting decision to sit down Sean Avery against Martin Brodeur and the other Devils he antagonizes. Maybe a better way to look at it was Mats Zuccarello for Avery, only because of the reality that a skills competition could have decided the Rangers’ fate (more on that idiocy in a moment). Whatever, it worked. Does that mean Avery is done here? I don’t think so. If the Rangers get into a grind of a series — and there are no shootouts in the playoffs, you know — I could see Avery going in for Zuccarello or Erik Christensen or Wojtek Wolski … though Wolski can sure be good when he wants to be.

4) I might add that Matt Gilroy, over the last four periods after being prucha’d for six games and playing forward for a couple of periods in Game 81, has sure played well on defense. Another interesting playoff decision for John Tortorella. Gilroy’s puck-moving or Steve Eminger’s grind?

5) I have called a lot of players Monsters over the course of this season, and many (Prust, Boyle, Staal, Dubinsky, Callahan, Sauer, McMonster, Lundvist, Girardi — the Block Ness Monster — have earned season-long Monster status. But one guy who hasn’t been cited nearly enough — my mistake — is Ruslan Fedotenko. What a great addition this guy has been, steady and sturdy and reliable and resilient. He was fabulous again in Game 82, as he was in so many games this season. So … Fedotenko=Monster.

6) Marian Gaborik played really hard in Game 82, much harder than he played in Game 81, much harder than he played in Game 82 last season. And he almost scored toward the end when the score was either 4-2 or 5-2, and I thought, that probably would have been worse than not scoring at all because it would have brought up all the “he only scores in blowouts” garbage again. He’s another guy who can atone in the next few weeks.

7) Said it last night, will say it again: It’s time for the shootouts to be gone or fixed or whatever. But they can’t stay this way. Three-point games made for exciting races, but they could have cost teams millions in revenue, could have cost good hockey people their jobs. They are not good for the game. More to the point, if the skills competition is going to decide games and playoff berths, if a point is a point is a point, then you can’t devalue those points in the tiebreaker. You cannot punish a team for excelling in the silly skills competition and sell the skills competition as a legit game-decider. Again, last year the Rangers lost in a skills competition and went home after Game 82, while the Flyers went to the finals. This year, if not for the change in the tiebreaker system, which excludes shootout wins, the Rangers would have decided their own fate on Sunday and not have had to count on the Lightning beating Carolina. They won 44 games this year. Without the shootout, they only won 35. So make up your mind, NHL, how many did they win? Is a win a win?

8) Because if a shootout win is not really a win, then don’t award the two points and the Bettman Bonus Point to the loser. Just get rid of the damn thing. It’s fun to watch, yes. But it’s a terrible way to lose a game after 65 minutes of hockey, and it’s a worse way to determine playoff berths and success and revenue and, ultimately, firings and trades. I don’t believe there’s one single more fan attending NHL games because of this contrived way of ending tied games. Not one.

9) With Sid the Skid out of the playoffs (probably) for Pittsburgh, the league loses its golden egg, its major marketing tool, its adopted son. So, then, the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechtrick against the team from the largest market becomes the NHL’s bread-and-butter, doesn’t it?

10) There were a lot of posts and a lot of info last night, so in case you missed it, there was some Bonehead Karma in action yesterday. The son of our buddy, the late OldCoach92, was one of the fans chosen to receive the shirt off the back of one of the Rangers during the post-game ceremony yesterday. I am not sure which jersey he got, but good for him, good for us, good on the Rangers, and I’m sure OldCoach92 is smiling today.

11) Isn’t it completely ridiculous that, based on a Tampa Bay-Carolina game in Raleigh, the Rangers’ season was going to be a wild success or a disastrous failure? I think so. The coach thinks so. The goalie — from a personal standpoint — isn’t so sure … Henrik Lundqvist said he didn’t think they could be satisfied if they didn’t make it. But what this team did this year doesn’t change because they got in, and it shouldn’t have changed if they hadn’t gotten in. Tortorella was dead right on that.

12) And the coach, by the way, has had one spectacular year. Seriously, he didn’t sacrifice any teaching or nurturing or any of the growing process for one single victory this year. He didn’t worry about his job security or the need to make the playoffs or any of that over sticking to the plan. He insisted they not sacrifice any of their youth. Because, let’s face it, the Rangers could have swapped some tomorrow for today and upgraded for their playoff run. They didn’t. That’s the coach.

13) Going into what used to be the Patrick Division semifinal — Rangers-Caps was almost an annual event — is there a team in the tournament with a better feeling about their guy between the pipes?

290 Comments

well done Carp, and totally agree on the shoot outs! They really need to go to a 3-2-1-0 system. It’s absolutely ridiculous how they did not count for tie breakers, but we have the GM of the Wings to thank for that.

Speaking of GMs, good to see Dale Tallon and Bryan Murray going the no-accountability route and firing their coaches. WTF? How do you blame the coaches on those teams? And will Garth Snow do the same thing?

as far as FedEx, agree with you there also. The guy flew under the radar for a lot of fans, but before he got hurt, the line of him, Flavah and Prustie were awesome. Glad he came back, and I have a feeling he’ll be here next season also.

Mike, are you saying there will be a conspiracy from the top down in this series? HMMMMM
;-) I don’t doubt it one bit. This is where Hank is going to shine! I expect him to be WALLQVIST. Think the series will go 6.

Great Post Carp Particularly (5) Regarding Fendotenko and what he has meant to this team. He has really flown under the radar has not gotten the recognition he deserves. Carp, you’re a purist when it comes to the shootout and I respect that but I and many people still stand throughout the process and enjoy the anticipation of this one-on-one skills contest. Furthermore, although, we almost lost because the the new tiebreaker ruling instituted by the Red Wings without the the shootout we wouldn’t have made the playoffs. Great Blogsite

I would like to know what Sather has done to Bettman, et al, for conspiracy theories to abound…no doubt Pissburgh and crosby get favored treatment….but now we have to worry aboy the Caps getting the same?…you would think the NHL brass would want a successful ranger team….those 40 TB penalties yesterday sure were strange…

I cannot do a beard contest this year, even though I started the unofficial contest prior to the inaugural Paul Mara contest. I just don’t think it will fly at my new job for me to be scruffy for a few weeks.

I hope King Henrik plays great, because the last time we played Washington in the playoffs he was outplayed by a goalie that nobody had ever heard of before (Varlamov?), and because he is a great goalie but needs to go way deep in the NHL playoffs, maybe all the way, to soldify his standing as a truly great goalie.

Got to trust Torts to make the right lineup calls. Drury looks like he is back, Wolski has earned the right to stay, so it will be Avery vs Zucs for a forward spot and Gilroy vs Eminger for a D spot. Torts has to find line combos because of Cally being out. That all being said, for all the talking heads saying this will be a different Washington team than the one the Rangers been kicking the carcillo out of this year, well, it will be a different Ranger team also due to injury (Cally) and return (Drury) of key players.

the talking heads McGuire and Millbury think ryan miller poses problems for the flyers…have to think hank poses a bigger problem for the craps….gabby needs to light the lamp tho…have to agree with that one…

Carp – I had season tickets in 1988 and was at that last game. We left MSG and raced over to the Penn Bar on 31st and 8th to watch the end of the Devs-Hawks. It was mid 3rd period when we got there and the place was absolutely packed and loud.

Darren Pang was having a great game for the Hawks and the place was chanting ‘Darren Pang’ and then came the goal. The place went dead silent for what seemed to be 30 seconds and somebody broke the silence with a loud “BYFUGLIEN!!!!!!!” and everybody just headed out for the death march down 8th Avenue. That was the other end of the spectrum compared to last night.

Everybody seems to be upset about the way the playoff deal works with the shootout, but I’m not buying it. I think it’s fine the way it is. Remember, the ROW being the tiebreaker is just that, the tie breaker. Total points are still the first criteria that standings are based on, and you still get 2 points for a SO win, with the loser getting the charity point. The Rangers went 9-3 (75%) in SOs this year, which is pretty damn impressive. Carolina went a more pedestrian 5-5 (50%) in SOs. If the Rangers also went 50% in SOs, they’d be 6-6, and leave 3 points up on the board, finishing the season with 90 points, 1 back of Carolina and out of the playoffs.

My point, you need to grab points however you can, whether it be in a SO, OT or in regulation. If the Rangers didn’t grab up all those shootout points, they wouldn’t have been sniffing at the playoffs at all. The Rangers went 6-3-1 in the final 10, which is good. But with Buffalo going 8-1-1 and Carolina going 8-2-1 in their last 11, the Rangers certainly didn’t get much help getting in or the season wouldn’t have come down to the final game.

Since the Detroit-Chicago game is on, let me tell one of my stories from yesterday:

My brother had to work a double shift (police officer) so his shift ended at like 8 AM. Since he didn’t have enough time to make it home before the early start, he just showed up early at the Garden. In being early, he met this guy named Murray. Murray is from Vancouver, and he was a lottery winner on vacation in NY. He went to a game at each of the three NY teams’ arenas, with the Rangers game his last of the three (coincidentally, all three were wins). We pointed him towards the prime rib sandwich and explained the Potvin Sucks chant. He said he absolutely LOVED the goal song and wanted to bring it back to Vancouver.

We also got to talking about the Canucks. He said that the city will riot if they don’t win this year. He’s also very worried about Chicago. This would be the third year in a row that they have to play Chicago in the playoffs, with Chicago having won the past two years. So with Chicago playing today, here’s to Murray, with hopes for a Chicago regulation loss and a Dallas win.

Joe, I think you missed part of Carp’s point. If the points are going to count in the standings, then how you earned them shouldn’t count for breaking ties. Why not take out the one Bettman Bonus point for OT/SO losses when breaking ties?

If a point is a point, then they should all count the same in every situation. If a point is not a point, then they should get rid of the fake ones altogether.

Tampa’s coach is a real stand-up guy. It would have been so easy for him to rest his best players to avoid the risk of injury, and just mail it in. But instead, he played his regular line-up and had them skating hard. I guess that the integrity of the game is important to him. He showed what class really is.

P.S. The picture of Marty and the Dunkin Donuts is a classic! It took me a long time to stop laughing.

Much obliged for your stand re ludicrous 3-point games. And you are right, they need to go, but when did the NHL EVER back-track on bad changes made to the game and to the “championship” format?

Two or three years ago, this horrible format put Washington into the playoffs, when Carolina was more deserving, on the basis of ALL regular season games counting, your choice, either two or three points. Having some games total two points, and other games total three points in the standings is as corrupt and just plain incompetent beyond any other inequity in all of sports. BUT, of course about 75% of the teams in the NHL look like winning teams in the standings, by virtue of the existence of 3-point games, and no one could ever expect such a blatantly dishonest, sly and manipulative three-card monte con artist like Gary Bettman to undo what he put in place, with an slicko agenda, in the first place. Integrity and “sports marketing” are not compatible anymore, if they ever were.

This disgusting format almost cost the Rangers their deserved place in the playoffs, to a much inferior team. I will do the math and get back with this blog, in the next 24 hours, with my confirmation of that statement, findings.

Carp
great write up as always…agree on the skills competition crap, just get rid of it!! Also agree on feds (been saying it all year), way under rated and should be a no brainer resigning!

anyone have highlights/link to the yogan mcilrath highlights?

who was posting topless last night? WTB??

Did you guys see the selanne fight highlights and the one player on the ice from the 2 teams not doing anything just standing there not helping his teammates?? I love the first round draft decision we made last year!!

my evaluation of him is not ridiculous. on a team with more scoring then fedetenko could be a very valuable player. he is 32 and keeping him for next year especially if he wants a lot of coin is a bad move.

is fedetenko 1 of the rangers top 12 forwards? absolutely that does not prove much………

I’d keep Fedotenko over Christensen, Avery, and Drury. Probably Zuccarello too, but I like Zucc’s potential.

I’d also consider bringing back Prospal if Prospal wanted to return. He’s really been great down the stretch here. I’m sure it didn’t hurt that he got to rest through the first 3/4s of the year, but he’s really been something special for us lately.

fed tank is the consumate team player…a solid worker that is vital on any team expecting to go anywhere….you need all types to make a run…scorers, grinders, tough guys, Stay at home Dmen, O type dmen…..

i would keep fedetenko over christensen also. christensen is too inconsistent. chrstensen is signed thru next year for a modest amount but signed.

the bottom line is if the rangers are not going to add another pseudo superstar like richards they need to add more 20 goal scorers. not high end guys but guys that can contribute and play all situations.

you can win with a bunch of 20 goal scorers but you need a bunch….over 6 20 goal guys and you need more contribution offensively from the rear guard….

feds has played well but he has 11 goals…he did miss some time, he is a nice player….that is it….they need aa, dubi, stepan, and cally to increase there #’s next year even if they are just 3 to 5 more goals each. that will help a ton. they need a addtl rookie or 2 to stick and add some speed and skill and they will continue there uptick. that is assuming the minny boys girardi and staal stay healthy and some combo of mdz and or gilroy and someone else play on the big club and add some skill……

stuart, that’s the thing: it’s a matter of the young players taking that next step. Cally and Dubi have to become threats for 30, Anisimov needs to be a solid 20, Stepan needs to score more consistently, etc.

doodie agree. since stepan, dubi, cally, aa, are all good 2 way players that can or will play in all circumstances. aa is very talented he needs to get stronger…

this team is likeable, they generally speaking play hard and are mostly homegrown and young….

we need to be patient realize we have no game breakers but guys that can continue to improve and be very productive players.. gabby has been a disappointment. he should get 30 yr in and yr out and needs to play harder more of the time….i am not asking for 50 gaols but he needs to be visible in more games and especially against good teams…

I am going to ask a favor of my friends and fellow correspondents, here. I have completed the research as to whether, on the basis of all games counting THREE POINTS, either the Rangers or the Hurricanes got screwed on deserved points, by the current format in place. Don’t jump all over me for this, I am as passionate and loyal a Ranger fan as anyone here, BUT, Bettman’s “screw you” format has served to elevate the Rangers into the playoffs, and it is Carolina which is being screwed out of a playoff position. Let’s look at the facts…

Allocating 3 points for a regulation win; 2 points for an ot/so win, and 1 point for an ot/so loss, Carolina logs the following record…

There are other ways to do the math, here, but they, too, point to Carolina being screwed here. When Washington undeservedly got in, at Carolina’s expense, I sent the above-method break-down to Carolina GM, Jim Rutherford, and recommended he take his case for a format revision to the NHL Board of Governors. No response to me, and no follow-up by Rutherford with the league. Now this Carolina team has again gotten screwed out of what it earned. Someone else can sympathize with that organization, this year, in my place.

Am I sorry the Rangers are in when they do not deserve to be in? No. Rather be in undeservedly than out by being screwed. But I wish someone in the media would take up the crusade to get this monstrosity-format repealed. It has destroyed the integrity and the credibility of the championship regular season.

Bryan Murray was only coach of the Senators when Chara left, so the credit for that should really go to our old (operative word “old”) friend, John Muckler. But then they got to the Cup Final without Chara the next year.

Murray has canned three of his own coaching hires in four years, which is a total indictment of a GMs performance. And not a million miles away from Sather’s record in the same department.

CORRECTION – if anybody cares, the Rangers won 32 reg season games in regulation, not 31 as I posted. Carolina still edges the Rangers, on the basis of 3 points for a regulation win, 126-125. But, either way, I don’t think anyone in the whole world even cares about this, except me.

Carp – Glad you made the point about Drury. I agree that his has not given them what we would want to get out of that salary, but I think we fans do not see what kind of impact he has had in the room. Particularly with a team of young players, that can be worth alot. And good for him for working hard to get back and not packing it in. I think he can contribute positively to this team, such as with faceoffs and on the penalty kill – certainly more than EC.

Whether or not the current point system is a fair enough reward for regulation wins or not, I don’t think there’s enough there to say that Carolina got screwed – they and every other team knows the rules they are operating under.

And a one point difference under the alternative system is nothing when you account for the fact that the Rangers wouldn’t have played for the shootout so often had a different system been in place.

Hey Boom Boom, have you ever run the numbers without shootouts and the Bettman bonus point? Like regulation/OT win is 2 points, regulation/OT points is 0 points, and any game that reaches the end of OT is a tie where each team gets a point?

Glad Orr mentioned him, because I was going to, while reading #5. Add Prospal to that list. Not only he’s been a great teammate all year long, he also elevated his game lately- against Boston and NJ. Guess who grabbed the puck for McD after he scored his first goal.

On Guy Boucher- someone mentioned that he did the right thing and played his best players last night. He, actually, was wavering the night before. I have no doubts that TB captain, along with St. Louis asked him to play them last night. They only played for around 15 min. or less, but it was enough. That’s how much respect they have for Torts. VL knows that he is what he is because of Torts.

Which reminds, if you haven’t yet, I encourage you to go back and read what Torts said after the NJ game. Carp has all his quotes. Very simply said, but unbelievable.

i hate the idea of leaving an NHL game, or any professional sports game, in a tie. i mean you play your heart out every game, and then come out in a tie. no. there is a winner and a loser in everything, no ties. and i think Cally is out till 3rd round of playoffs at the earliest.

Doodie – the 2 points for a reg win and 1 point for a reg tie numbers are Carolina 84 Rangers 81. Thanks for your response. Best time for all of this would be in a year when the Rangers got screwed this way out of a playoff spot, rather than in a year when they lucked out. Bettman, to me, is the saddest chapter in NHL history – ok Mr. Commissioner, can we just have wider nets, now that everything else is dumbed-down?

well im not a big fan of the shootout, id prefer either continuous OTs or 5-5, then 4-4, then 3-3 OT. but at least in a shootout you have a winner and a loser, the winner being that team that has better 1on1 players, players with better moves/speed. a tie is a tie, and it doesn’t give any team that extra for doing better than the other team.

the problem is the rewarding of pts for OT and SO losses. the Canes would have gotten in, and Dallas might today, simply because they LOST more often in OT and SO than the Rangers and Hawks. that is wrong, there needs to be no point system, because all it is is a scheme to make bottom feeder teams look like they are in contention for the playoffs, and to artificially hype the parity.

The thing I hate about the SO or anything less than 5 on 5 is players that are absolutely vital to a team throughout the game and the subtle nuances and heart and soul they bring to their team are suddenly taken out of the equation (prust for example) and players that do nothing for the whole game (EC for example) are allowed to decide the outcome!!

When they ask players and former players, they almost always say that they like wins and losses with no point system, “a loss is a loss” is what 95 % of them say. but it is the suits at the nhl office, the Bettman types, who concoct these point schemes to try to make the fans in Columbus and Atlanta etc feel like they are in contention. it is absurd. get rid of all point systems, and just have 2 columns, wins and losses

NYR, 1 point for shootout win, 2 points for any other type of win, 0 points for any loss? how depressed would the players be going into a shootout knowing that they can only get 1 point now, rather than 2.

As a Rangers fan, I hate backing into the playoffs, but we don’t have a choice at this time. I’m not confident the Rangers will beat the Caps because of their lack of scoring. Casual fans will say, wait, we killed them in a few games this year, but good Ranger’s fans know those 6-0 and 7-0 scores were fluky, and that the Caps are a much better defensive team now, with the playoffs being a whole other animal.
Until the Rangers draft/develop some big time scorers who produce at the NHL level, I am tired of people saying the future looks bright. When is the last time the Rangers had an impact goal scorer in the NHL that they drafted?
Gaborik is the only offensive player who scares other teams, and this year he’s been miserable.
Please don’t sign Richards in the off season. He’s going to cost too much and he’s 30 already. I don’t care that he played for Torts already, these are the types of signings that set a franchise back for years. Just look back to Drury and and Gomez. It doesn’t matter that Drury is the captain and back now. Sure, he had a huge goal yesterday, but he has 1 lousy goal this year, and his best play is on the penalty kill and face-offs. For 7 million a year, that’s a joke. We need at least a consistent 30 goal scorer. If we wanted more defense and penalty killing, we could of resigned Malhotra for a lot less.
I’m not trying to be pessimistic, but a realist. Until this organization learns how to draft, we are not going anywhere. Lundquist can’t score.

Here’s an idea that probably nobody would like. Get rid of the shootout. Keep the 4v4 overtime, but increase the length to 10 minutes. Now, the coach has to make a decisioin to either work his best players to death and possibly wear them out by the end of the season or give the 3rd and 4th liners ice time during the OT which would increase scoring if you match up lines well. If nobody scores after 10 minutes then it’s a point apiece just like the good ol’ days.

the fans from Quebec bused down to the game to make a pitch for an nhl team. there are a couple thousand of them. they are battling the Debbie fans in the chanting. the Debbie fans are insulting the Rangers, and so the Quebecers are yelling for the Rangers just to get under the skin of the NJ fans.

now that I think about it, I don’t really care what the circumstances were or who participated. The fact that there was a lets go rangers chant at a devils bruins game and that the NESN announcers were laughing about it is all I needed to LMFAO!!

I wasn’t especially defending the points system, but it’s only unfair in retrospect. Having shootout and regulation wins being of equal value didn’t give the Rangers any advantage over the Canes at the start of the year – arguably, having Lundqvist and the likes of EC on the roster was an advantage, but there was nothing to stop the Canes stockpiling SO specialists (if such a thing actually exists, which is a whole other argument). So I’m just saying after-the-fact bleating by the Canes or anyone else about the unfairness of it all is pointless.

And the same would’ve been true had the Rangers lost out on the regulation wins tie-breaker yesterday.

the fans are not asking for a rule change. they are asking for an end to the outlandish, nhl office concocted point system that makes games that end after 60 minutes worth more than games that end in regulation.

I absolutely agree with you on the shoot out farce. If it’s good enough to be employed during the season, then why ban it during the most critical period of the leagues activity, when some teams have deliberately strengthened this aspect of their game, (any one we know?)and worse yet …relied upon it.

Drop it…it;s really not fair to the players who have lived and struggled with it for a season.

Disagree. ’08 team had more skill, and more experience. This team is better. And good road teams, and resilient teams, and teams that grind, win in the playoffs. I don’t know if they have enough skill or depth to go far, but this team has a chance in any series it plays.

Hi Carp, it’s good to be kind of back. Been a rough year for the ol’ Nasty 1. 2010 was, as I call it, “The year of the bullcarcillo.” 2011 has been a little better though. I am hoping to be a regular poster again for the playoffs, as long as I am around a computer.

as much as i would have love to play Gilroy, he has not brought any offense to the table as a professional. you gotta go with Eminger, who has playoff experience and is more responsible defensively, giving McCabe a chance to maybe get more involved in the offense during 5 on 5 play.

LW3h – see Backcheck post right next to yours….he nails it – games ending in overtime/S.O. should not be worth more than games ending in regulation! Never heard it expressed more intelligently and logically. And shame upon the National Hockey League Commissioner and Board of Governors Rules Committee for their indefensible incompetence. Down with gimmics, just give us good hockey and a sane and consistent standings points system – you know, like in the old days before what was not broken was destroyed.

Tom, I agree, most of what you said is true, except for the backing in part and the future not looking bright part.

They have failed to draft a scorer — and they could have had one in the Hugh Jessiman draft — and their signings and attempts to get a scorer have failed… not only the Drurys and Gomezes and (this year, not last) Gaborik, and Frolov and Higgins and Kotalik and on and on and on. They have one first-line forward and he played like a borderline second-line forward this year.

But if you’re telling me that Staal, Callahan, Dubinsky, Girardi, Anisimov, Stepan, McDonagh, Sauer, and even Del Zotto and Kreider are not going to be very good NHL players, you’re incorrect. And throw in the acquisitions of Prust and Boyle, who are young … there’s a pretty good core. Staal, Sauer and McDonagh can all be first-pair D-men. But, yes, they need a first line. They certainly have a very good second line, a very good third line, a very good fourth line in place. Now comes the hard part.

I am hopeful that Stepan and Krieder will step up and have superstar NHL careers, for offensive production, at least. We could have some big-time Rangers system cannons developing right under our noses. Better chance of that than our landing a couple of them via Free Agency or trades. Jagr was a once in 100 lifetimes gift from the God’s.

Center Ice is lame. They don’t play the most important game of the East last night, and play meaningless games, and they don’t play the most important game of the West, and the final regular season game.

I’d rather roll with what we’ve got. No free agent forwards are worth signing, and the cost of trading for a premier guy will be too rich to be worth it.

Just roll with our youth for another year or two. A lot of good UFA forwards in 2012, assuming they don’t resign, Patrick Sharp being the top prize. With Drury and Avery coming off the books that year (assuming Drury isn’t bought out this summer), we can make a serious move.

Brent Burns will be UFA then as well, if none of our D materializes into an offensive threat. I REALLY like Burns.

I like Erhoff more, who is available this summer, but I’d rather see what happens with our kids for another year before making a move for a UFA.

Carp – You make some good points. Yes, that Hugh Jessiman draft set them back a few years huh?:)
I like all the young players you mentioned but not crazy about Del Zotto. I know he’s real young, but he hasn’t shown me much yet – but its too early to give up on him. As for Kreider, he’s a good prospect, but can we wait to see what he does in the NHL first before we get excited about his potential?
Boyle and Prust are good 3rd and 4th line players, which is fine, you need those types of players, but Boyle has done nothing since the AS break. If he can score 20 next year, I will be more sold on him going forward.
I am tired of Avery and his antics. He’s so over paid, its funny, and barely contributes anything.
Callahan is going to be missed a lot, he’s the heart and soul, and is getting better every year. Now we just have to teach him not to go down in front of a Chara slapper:)

Can you tell me why the Rangers traded for guys like Zherdev, Lisen, and Wolski? I don’t get it. They love guys with potential who look mostly lost when they’re on the ice. Lisen is not even in
the league anymore! Wolski scored his first goal in 18 games yesterday, and he looks bored and lost on the ice.
One other question….for an organization that needs scoring from their defense too, why did they pass up on Cam Fowler last year? He’s started all year for Anaheim and played well from what I’ve read.

Tom, I’d never teach Callahan not to go down in front of a Chara shot. That’s his game.

As for Zherdev and Wolski, you are hoping you can turn them into something because lord knows they have the tools. Wolski in particular looked great against Boston and NJ. The real reason for the Wolski deal though was twofold: 1) they needed a forward to replace Frolov, and 2) cleared over a million in cap space.

Doodie – I know it’s Callahan’s game, but in my opinion, you have to pick your spots too. Chara has the hardest slapper in the league. The Rangers are lucky they don’t have more serious injuries with all the blocks.
ORR – My point was specifically about needing offense. They’re already one of the best defensive teams in the league.

It’s not just aboot defense. It’s aboot having a “Beukeboom” style d-man, which is what they expect him to be, and is something they’ve needed ever since he retired.

The team already has Del Zotto, which they’re still high on. High as a fuggin kite. Stahl gets better each season offensively. Girardi can provide *some* offense, not much. McDonut could be another Stahl. They have Gilroy, even though I think he’ll be gone after this season.

Actually, it was Game 80. But, I do generally agree … when you’re that far away from the shooter, maybe you go in standing up, take if off the shinpads or let it get through. I don’t care if the shot’s 105 mph, your goalie should be able to stop one from the blue line.

Game’s on NHL Network for those who get it.

And I don’t think Boyle needs to score 20 or more than 20 if he is slotted as a third/fourth-liner on a team with a legit first line.

Carp posted:
I also thought, and mentioned last night, that Greg (ZzZz) had the line of the week, if not the season, after yesterday:

“Game Over. Season Over.”

wow Thanks Carp , i kinda knew it was really fitting at the time. Beuty that I did it before ORR BTW I did oviously get the saying from him and I did put that protection for me so ORR can’t sue me. Line of the season…sweeeet!!!!

Rangers clinched the Playoffs before ChUmPcago did !!! Rangers even Witch-slaped ‘em during the season and won. Last season we we down and we were out . This season we are back with something to prove!!!

Were the best at

shotblocking ,keeping the lead after 2 periods, Most shutouts by a goalie, Top PK , gritty hard working team…sounds like a team geared for the cup.

not only Byfuglien, but more important right now is the loss of Dave Bolland, the center who is their matchup center vs the other teams best centers. iow, he played against and shutdown Sedin and Joe thornton and Richards last year. he has a concussion, has been out for a month, and is not ready to return. so I doubt they can do it this year because their depth is really weak this time.

Great review Carp. Thanks to a link over at SNYRangersBlog…I got to read this excellent write-up.

I just might have to start coming to this blog again. The self imposed ban had nothing to do with you personally. It was the incessant Dubi bashing by certain individuals that got on my nerves during training camp.

I can’t believe the poor coaching in these games that mean a playoff spot. why would 4th liners even see the ice when your entire season is on the line? the Hawks 4th line was on for 3 of the 4 Det goals. how can you allow your 4th line to play vs the Det guys like Datsyuk etc? Quenneville is lucky they still got in cuz he did a poor job in that final game.